·
·
Friday, 9 October 2026dailybeirut.com
World
The Wall Street Journal reports that Russia is preparing a new round of mass military mobilization—including in Kaliningrad—and has not yet decided whether to proceed, with the decision expected after late-September parliamentary elections.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Russia is preparing for another large-scale military mobilization, extending to the Kaliningrad exclave situated between Poland and Lithuania.
According to intelligence sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, Russian military commanders traveled to the Kaliningrad exclave last month to assess readiness preparations and review local recruitment procedures.
Those same sources indicated that the Kremlin has not yet finalized its decision on launching a new mass mobilization campaign. The timing of that decision is anticipated to be deferred until after the parliamentary elections scheduled for late September.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also addressed Russia’s conscription plans, stating that Kyiv estimates Moscow is preparing to recruit an additional 300,000 soldiers. This effort forms part of a broader mobilization initiative set to begin following the presidential elections.
Zelenskyy added that Russia could continue recruiting troops into next year, aiming to bring the total number of newly mobilized personnel in the Russian armed forces to approximately 500,000.
